All games, including video games, comprise sets of rules. Such rule sets define everything from the visuals of the environment, to the means by which a person or object moves through such an environment, manipulates that object or environment and, eventually, completes the game.
Significantly, no system has been developed for logically analyzing and comparing video games on a feature by feature basis. In fact, such analysis has not even been possible because a standard nomenclature for features of video game features has not been established. It is true that games are routinely classified into genres, (e.g., Action, Fighting, Role-playing, Massively Multiplayer Online, Platform, Simulation, Sports, and Strategy), and are also routinely classified according to their age and skill levels. But such classifications are subjective, and there appears to be no rigorous logical system for mapping between feature sets and game classifications.
The closest prior art seems to be U.S. Publication No.: 2003/0065978 (parameterizing errors of a software product already released to the public), U.S. Pat. No. 6,937,913 (parameterizing features of products that customers say they want or need), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,541 (applying a heuristic to criteria identifiers of products). These and all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Many problems in the video game design process result from this absence of systems and methods for logically analyzing and comparing video games on a feature by feature basis. For example, game production is often hindered because genre-standard features are often forgotten or are remembered late in the design process, only to be hastily implemented at the last minute. On the flip side of the coin, non-standard features are often given undo emphasis and allotted a disproportionate amount of development resources. Additionally, without a standard for comparison, different departments within development studios and publishing houses can have difficulty even agreeing on what the core features of their video game should be, or deciding what percent of their development effort should be spent on innovation as opposed to delivering on core genre features.
The problems extend to the investment side of gaming as well. Most game developers who are seeking funding are also in a difficult position when attempting to convince investors that they have a product which can be successful in the marketplace. Many games which could have been very successful never make it off the ground because the studios simply can't sell their ideas effectively. From the investor's perspective, there is a total lack of tools and services which with the risk of the investment can be assessed. For the most part, investors must rely on experience, instinct, intuition and a great deal of luck.
Thus, there is still a need for systems and methods in which video and other electronically embodied games can be analyzed and compared according to a features, with appropriate guidance provided to interested parties.